Male Lead Choi Jin Hyuk Unavailable to film 4-episode Extension for SBS Drama An Empress’s Dignity

The surprising early on success of SBS Wed-Thurs drama An Empress’s Dignityhas let to the network ill-advisedly deciding on an extension, coming at a time when it’s ratings have dropped and now been eclipsed by KBS drama What’s Up Poong Sang (Liver or Die). Empress was a wacky over-the-top romp from the beginning starting with character actor Tae Hang Ho playing the male lead only to revenge exercise himself into Choi Jin Hyuk a few episodes in. Now the network may have to bring Tae Hang Ho back because Choi Jin Hyuk will NOT be available to film the additional 4-episode extension this week, as he’s already scheduled for an overseas work engagement long before this extension was decided. I don’t know how the script plans to work around Choi Jin Hyuk’s unavailability short of putting leads Jang Nara and Shin Sung Rok together in the end in some sort of cosmic reversal of drama romance laws. Viewers will get to see how it all shakes out next week as Empress airs the final episodes.